1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermometer and more particularly to an electronic thermometer which is combined with a pacifier for easily and safely taking the oral temperature of either an infant or a small child.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,429, entitled Electronic Clinical Thermometer with a Battery Life Warning Display, issued to Toyoharu Fujikawa on Aug. 9, 1988, teaches an electronic clinical thermometer which includes a temperature oscillating circuit having a temperature sensor for detecting the body temperature, a body temperature measuring circuit for making data on the body temperature in response to an output signal of the temperature oscillating circuit; a digital display device having seven-segment digital patterns for displaying the body temperature in response to a signal of the body temperature measuring circuit; and a battery voltage detecting circuit for detecting a voltage drop of a battery, a first additional pattern and a second additional pattern are provided between two adjacent digital patterns of the digital display device and also an additional pattern decoder for driving the first and second additional patterns is provided, and the additional pattern decoder and decoders provided for driving the two digital patterns are controlled by an output signal of the battery voltage detecting circuit, whereby a battery life warning mark having the shape of the battery is displayed on the digital display device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,790, entitled Mouth Grips for Oral Thermometers, issued to Steven T. Frankel and Calvin W. Wingo on Mar. 21, 1989, teaches an electronic thermometer which includes a mouth-piece, a housing which is attached to the mouth-piece, a temperature sensitive element, an electrical circuit and a temperature display. The electronic thermometer orally measures the temperature of a living being. The mouth-piece is for insertion into the mouth of the living being. The temperature sensitive element has a metallic element and a pair of wire leads and effectively transforms a temperature inside the mouth to an analog signal correlating to the temperature. The electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the temperature sensitive element and converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the pair of wire leads of the temperature sensing element and is disposed within the housing. The temperature display a digital signal display in a digital read-out format. is disposed on the mouth-piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,054, entitled Combined Pacifying Nipple and Mouth Thermometer Device, issued to Michel Blouin and Leo Mercier on Feb. 7, 1978, teaches a combined pacifying device and mouth thermometer which includes a liquid mercury thermometer tube, a flexible nipple mouth-piece and a stop ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,690, entitled Combined Infant Pacifier and Thermometer, issued to Michel Blouin and Leo Mercier on Jul. 13, 1976, teaches a combined infant pacifier and mouth thermometer which includes a liquid thermometer tube, a flexible nipple mouth-piece and a stop ring. The liquid thermometer tube has a liquid bulb portion which has an inner open end and an outer closed end, a temperature display portion which is joined to the inner opend end of the liquid bulb portion along the liquid thermometer tube. The flexible nipple mouth-piece freely surrounds the outer end of the liquid bulb portion and has apertures therethrough placing the bulb portion in open communcation with the exterior of the mouthpiece. The stop ring is secured over the liquid temperature tube at the junction between the bulb portion and the temperature display portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,450, entitled Thermometer Pacifier, issued to Thomas E. Hoy on Jan. 14, 1964, teaches thermometer pacifier which includes a pacifier and a mercury thermometer which is associated with the pacifier so that the temperature of a small child may be taken without difficulty. The pacifier includes a framing tube and a hollow bulbous portion in the shape of a nursing nipple with an aperture at its outer end and an enlarged flange at its base end.
U.S. Pat. No. D-268,651, entitled Infant Thermometer, issued to Barbara Doyle on Apr. 19, 1983, teaches an ornamental design for an infant thermometer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,402, entitled Thermometer Pacifier, issued to Barbara Doyle on Oct. 21, 1975, teaches a thermometer in combination with a pacifier for use in ascertaining the temperature of a child. The pacifier includes a rubber nipple and a circular stop flange which are made of one piece and of a flexible material such as a high grade gum rubber. The rubber nipple is of the size and shape usually associated with a child's pacifier and surrounds the well of the thermometer. The pacifier also includes a transparent rigid tubular member which encloses the glass stem of the thermometer so that a child cannot break the glass stem. The transparent rigid tubular member is inserted into the rubber nipple and the circular stop flange and may be removed so the rubber nipple and the circular stop flange may be sterilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,271, entitled Electronic Thermometer with Probe Isolation Chamber, issued to Laurie J. Burger, Joel N. Helfer, Donald E. Protzmann and Robert F. Uhl on Oct. 28, 1986, teaches an electronic thermometer which includes a color coded probe permanently fastened by an electrical cable to a color coded isolation chamber in order to prevent indavertent use of a rectal probe with an oral isolation chamber. Red and blue isolation chambers are used for oral and rectal temperature, respectively and can be readily used with one thermometer housing.